Serpie Planner - event reports

Last Friday 5k (26 Jun 1998)

Last Friday 5k (31 Jul 1998)

Last Friday 5k (28 Aug 1998)

Only incomplete results available - not full list.

Last Friday 5k (18 Dec 1998)

Full race results not available, only leaders in each category.

Last Friday 5k (26 Feb 1999)

Again a massive field. What are we doing right? Again thanks to all the helpers, Alan Woodward, Rudi Mahoney, Paul Ingram, Tony Leppard, Martin Garrett and Rachel Broster. The latter two worked like a well-oiled team even changing pens in mid flow of doing the numbers.

See you all next month 26 March. Remember all help appreciated and all Serpies please pre-register by sending me your details and a cheque made payable to SERPENTINE RC for

Last Friday 5k (26 Mar 1999)

Well numbers were a bit down for this year but still some good performances all round with a great depth with half the field under 20 minutes.A special mention of the first two ladies with the winner S.MORRIS from the Army finishing in 15th place Overall and our own E.REST in 28th place.

Thanks again to all those marshalls on what was not the best of days. Rudi Mahoney, Alan Woodward, Tony Leppard and helping at the finish Martin Garrett. See you all next month on 30 April. Registration at the Lido from 12 Noon onwards. Please all Serpies Pre Register like Dave Lipscomb did.

Last Friday 5k (28 May 1999)

Well yet another great turnout for the race on a Bank Holiday Weekend.

Thanks to all those who turned out to help. The finish crew of Martin Garrett, Beate Vogt, Sue McGinlay and Bev Thomas Plus yours truly coped admirably. Thanks to also the Marshals Rudi Mahoney, Paul Ingram, Alan Woodward and Bob Davidson.

There are a lot of Unattached runners turning up to run and I feel we are missing out on a recruiting opportunity as I and whoever is doing the registration cannot hand out leaflets at the same time so if there is anyone out there who can spare a hour or so just to hand out leaflets about the club and chat to to people it would be a great help, you may have to forfeit your run but this would be for the greater good of the club so please think about it and call me.

Last Friday 5k (30 Jul 1999)

Another good turnout with 75 Runners. Thanks to all those who turned out to help. The only slight hiccup being that some runners decided to wear their numbers upside down!!! Martin Garrett despite this coped admirably at the finish taking down numbers in which ever format they appeared.

Last Friday 5k (24 Sep 1999)

Well another 5K race bites the dust or in this case the mud as the conditions were nearly as bad as the Infamous June 97 race which will live in the memories for ever of those who were helping on that day.

A round of applause to all those runners who turned out to run but put your hands together and loudly clap for all those who turned out to help.

Umbrella Holders Extraordinaire Dave(I am cool about running the Edinburgh Marathon on not enough Training) Lipscomb, Rachel Broster and Beate(Queen of the Round Norfolk Relay) Vogt, Martin (Anorak Coventry City Season Ticket Holder) Garret who coped very well with recording numbers even with those who had no numbers including one Serpie Lady who arrived late, changed behind a tree (not a wise choice)- No Names--No pack drill-Initials MM

Also all the marshals Paul Ingram, Peter Torre, Alan Woodward,Rudi Mahoney, Tony Leppard (sorry I am just used to putting in your name but you were not there as you forgot) and David Street (wait till you see the weather in Leeds!!!!!!!!!!).

45 Unattached runners, swollen by a contingent from De Beers Diamond Company who were running for charity and had planned to have a picnic afterwards and may or may not return. I do not have time to talk to all these people and if anyone can spare the time to come along and hand out flyers about the club it would be most helpful. If you can assist please contact me ASAP.

Last Friday 5k (29 Oct 1999)

Excellent weather which was reflected in the massive turn out for the race with 96 starters and 93 finishers. A very high tech with automatic timer and Dictaphone whish helped to cope with upside down numbers, no numbers and one runner who went off course.

Next month

Last Friday 5k (26 Nov 1999)

Thanks to Dave Lipscomb who organised the race in my absence as I could not get the time off work (Chairman please note) and he did a marvellous job even with the Armed Forces Awayday. Thanks to all the helpers Beate Vogt, Rachel d, Rudi Mahoney (Best Wishes from All Club Members) and last but by no means least from Imperial College Vicki Sim.

The next race and the last of this Millennium will take place on Christmas Eve, 24th December, as always all offers of help will be taken up. If you can help please let me know ASAP. If you decide at the last minute turn up at the Lido Caf

Last Friday 5k (24 Dec 1999)

The last 5k of this year took place on Christmas Eve with another good turnout of 65 runners.

Last Friday 5k (28 Jan 2000)

Apology for running out of pins. Sorry to the race leader at the time who went off course as the marshal was not ready, a lesson learned. The big gap in the times is because the automatic timer had a paper jam which I did not notice until too late: if any took their own time and can let me know please do so and I will fill in the gaps.

February

Last Friday 5k (25 Feb 2000)

Another excellent turnout with 112 finishers - which was rather more than had registered, some we know had said they would pay afterwards and one or two did - but I am sure that some people just joined in when they saw there was a race and this did not help with either the timekeepers or the number recorders. But we all agreed with the number of finishers.

I only wish that runners or joggers out for their normal lunchtime run would avoid running through the finish or at least point out, as one lady did, that they are not part of the race. I know we don

Last Friday 5k (31 Mar 2000)

Another magnificent turnout with a high quality run at the front from J. SAPTAKO from the Czech Republic nearly a minute ahead of second and only two seconds shy of last month

Last Friday 5k (28 Apr 2000)

A smallish turn out with only 71 finishers, not all of whom had registered, plus two guys who started late, took their own times and did not pass the finish so are not in the results.

Many thanks to Dave Lipscomb and Malcolm French who handled registration as I could not get there on time due to work, Malcolm also came to help at the finish while Dave stood out on the course to help marshal, which did not help the finish team as he had the book with details of the number of runners so all those at the finish were looking at each other and wondering how many more runners were to come. At least Dave did wander over before they all finished and on being asked \"Where have you been and how many runners are there? \", he replied \"Well I looked over and you had at least four at the finish so I knew I was not needed\" after which he delved into the depths of his rucksack (at least he had only one) and produced the requisite figures.

Thanks to Beat Vogt and Michael Boucher (Imperial College) for their help at the finish. Also thanks to all the Marshals - Bob Davidson, Phill Harris, Tony Leppard and Peter Torre (Metros).

Last Friday 5k (26 May 2000)

What a miserable day but still 97 Runners finished. There were some very good times with the winner taking nearly 30 seconds off his time last month and an excellent 17.59 was posted by the winner of the ladies race C.Slimmin. There were at least another couple of PBs that I was made aware of, so well done to all the runners.

The conditions were not quite as bad as June 1997, which still holds the course record for bad weather, which is no doubt small consolation for the helpers.

The next race is on Friday 30th June, the day before the July Handicap and the AGM, so be there at 12 Noon at the Lido Caf

Last Friday 5k (30 Jun 2000)

Another successful 5k which was momentous in several ways. Firstly the events officer for the Central Royal Parks, Robert Skeoch, accepted our Honorary Secretary

Last Friday 5k (28 Jul 2000)

A tremendous downpour between 1145 and 1215 soaked a great deal of competitors, marshals and everyone else in the park who all flooded into the Lido Caf

Last Friday 5k (25 Aug 2000)

There were 108 finishers in the race with excellent times recorded by both the first man A.Thomas in 15.48 and H.Smethurst the first lady in 19.22..The only problem at the finish is getting the medals to the first 3 men and women as we who are recording cannot do it for fear of missing some one so we could do with extra help at this stage of the race.

Last Friday 5k (29 Sep 2000)

Our largest field of the year so far with 122 starters and 120 finishers and also excellent times recorded vy the Ladies winner in M.STATHAM in 19.21(FV45) and the Mens winner T.WOOD in 15.21(not 13.21 as appeared in the TIMES on Monday 2nd). All the serpies who turned up to run actually managed to run as there were plenty marshals to cope with the all the runners.

Special Mention to Malcolm French for tearing himself away from his personal coverage of the Olympics to put out and collect in (I HOPE) the Kilometre Markers, register two latecomers in the two minutes between race 1 and 2 and then logging all the numbers. Also to Martin Garret for handing out club leaflets after he had run as a member of Sudbury Court RC (his First Claim Club).

Next month\'s race is on October 27th and I will be on an aircraft bound for Tenerife and I believe also that several other regular helpers are not available so it is a case of HELP REQUIRED. If anyone out there can spare an hour or so please let me know ASAP so I can have it all organised before I go so that it all runs smoothly.

A request for all runners from the staff at the Lido Caf

Last Friday 5k (27 Oct 2000)

An overcast and windy day did not deter a record 133 runners participating in October\'s race. The men\'s race saw a dead heat with M. Boucher and A Greenway both recording times of 16 mins 13 secs, whilst the ladies race was won in a quick time of 17mins 40secs by T. Hatt.

Last Friday 5k (24 Nov 2000)

Well the limit has been reached with 150 entrants and 2 late starters making it 152 finishers. The largest field in the history of the with thrown in a magnificent ladies record (for the new course) of 17.02 in 9th place overall by Maria Sharp of Belgrave Harriers and a new lady vets Record of 17.59 by Alison Fletcher of Dulwich Runners/Runner

Last Friday 5k (29 Dec 2000)

After a lot of discussion it was decided that the race would be run in spite of the conditions underfoot. The whole course was checked and the problem areas were pin pointed and marshals deployed at other strategic points in addition to the normal marshalling points. At this time a special mention must be made for Tony Leppard who was at the first corner in the race where there was a large sheet of ice and who used his initiative and a "Caution Runners" sign to take sand from the horse ride and grit the offending point. I believe that two or three people fell over and last month

Last Friday 5k (26 Jan 2001)

This month the record number of finishers was blown right out the window with 193 finishers a massive improvement of 42 from last month which is probably down to the article which appeared in "Runner

Last Friday 5k (23 Feb 2001)

Another massive turn out with 182 finishers. The race limit has been upped to 200 but this is the final limit and in future if this target is reached I am afraid you will not be able to take part. Changes in entry procedure will have to be implemented after our latest meeting with the Royal Park

Last Friday 5k (26 Apr 2001)

Well a rather disappointing turn out for the 100th Race with a lot of the pre-registered entrants not showing up including our own Jeff Prestridge who had only ran Paris Marathon on April 8th, Sandy 10 on April 15th and London Marathon on April 22nd and wimped out of a speed session. Still never mind: I hope all those who ran enjoyed themselves and anyone who did not get a t-shirt at the finish please contact me ASAP with the size required and I will send one out to your home address.

Now to the race itself. The men

Last Friday 5k (25 May 2001)

I must apologise for the late listing of these results but there have been a myriad of reasons for this. The main ones are to do with the race itself. We have two races with times stated and great problems ensue when people enter the wrong race please be sensible about this and enter the correct time scale as it makes my life easier and more so for the next two months when I am not here and others who are not so well versed are having to do the times and places. Also this month for the first time a large group finished almost together which made the recording of times and places a bit frantic. If anyone does have a major gripe about their time or placing please let me know.

Last Friday 5k (29 Jun 2001)

Another excellent turnout on what was a rather humid and blustery afternoon. Despite the (rare) absence of John Walker and several other \"regular\" team members, I felt the event went off very well. However, as it

Last Friday 5k (27 Jul 2001)

The race was run in very hot conditions but despite this the times of a number of the leading runners were faster that the previous month. A combination of the weather, along with the onset of the summer holiday period and the change to the entry arrangements, probably accounted for the lower than average number of runners. There was a close race at the front of the field between athletes from Thames Hare and Hounds and Watford Harriers and on this occasion youth didn

Last Friday 5k (31 Aug 2001)

Another well supported race, and fortunately the thunder and lightning held off until the event had finished. We were pleased to welcome groups of runners from Hoovers.com, Longview Solutions and Espree. We hope all of you enjoyed your race.

Last Friday 5k (28 Sep 2001)

A beautiful autumn day saw another good turnout. The number of faster runners was somewhat down because of the following weekend\'s South of England Road Relays. Congratulations to Richard Long and Graeme Staddon who both celebrated their birthdays by running.

Last Friday 5k (30 Nov 2001)

Another well supported race. We were particularly pleased to welcome a group of runners from Knight Frank, one of the world

Last Friday 5k (28 Dec 2001)

Special thanks to the management of the Lido Cafe for allowing us to use their premises for registration.

Last Friday 5k (25 Jan 2002)

An excellent race that saw a new women

Last Friday 5k (22 Mar 2002)

A slightly disappointing turn out for the glorious second day of Spring with ideal condition, a stark comparison to February.

Fast times for both the Men

Last Friday 5k (26 Apr 2002)

An excellent turnout, especially in view of the unsettled weather and a fine race with the winner only coming through in the last half mile.

Last Friday 5k (31 May 2002)

There was an excellent turnout. This was the largest field seen for 12 months and the quickest winning time so far this year. Congratulations to Les Presland who set a new V60 course record, knocking 1 second off the old time. (You can see the course records here.) Good to see so many ladies running.

Last Friday 5k (28 Jun 2002)

Another good turn out with significant groups of runners from Fairlands Valley Spartans and London Heathside.

I thought there was a particularly good run from 16-year-old Ashley Humphries (Southend AC).

I hope you all enjoyed the race.

Last Friday 5k (26 Jul 2002)

Firstly, a big

Last Friday 5k (30 Aug 2002)

There was another record field and a number of outstanding performances, especially from some of our younger runners. 16-year-old Ashley Humphreys (Southend) had a splendid run to finish third, also recording the 2002 best time in the Under 20 age group. Another excellent run came from 13-year-old of Daniel Sheppard (AFD) who finished 22nd, while another 13 year old, L Gruszewski (TVH) also recorded a first class time in finishing 95th. It was a young lady, Caroline Walsh (SB) who headed the women, in a time that only two other ladies have bettered this year.

Elsewhere, Matt Shore

Last Friday 5k (27 Sep 2002)

Another record month with 196 finishers 2 up on last month which was a bit surprising with the Southern Road Relays at Aldershot on Saturday and Sunday after the race and a lot, but not all, athletes taking a day off before their event.

In the race itself a win for M. NADGIB, a foreign athlete who has only recently arrived in this country in 16.12 and only 3 seconds covering the first three and in the Ladies race a win for J.COOPER of Garden City Joggers in 18.47 some 40 seconds adrift of the best FV35 time for 2002. In second place was Emma Calderbank, sister of our very own Jane.

In the Men

Last Friday 5k (25 Oct 2002)

A close fought race that saw very late entrant, Keith Newton pull away from Serpentine

Last Friday 5k (29 Nov 2002)

Another excellent race with some particularly good women

Last Friday 5k (27 Dec 2002)

The November race saw some splendid women

Last Friday 5k (31 Jan 2003)

The inhospitable winter weather that had brought travel chaos to London reduced the size of the field and kept times down. Parts of the course needed careful negotiation.

I am very grateful to all of the marshals and officials who came out to help on such a cold afternoon.

Last Friday 5k (28 Feb 2003)

Well, what a race. But before commenting on it, I

Last Friday 5k (28 Mar 2003)

Racing conditions were almost perfect and the race saw a bumper turnout and many good performances. This was by far the largest field the race has seen and more than double the number that ran in March 2002. So it

Last Friday 5k (25 Apr 2003)

Another competitive and well-supported race.

Last Friday 5k (30 May 2003)

The race was disrupted by the presence of a film crew who were occupying the start and finish area. Although we were able to use the normal start, a new finish had to be arranged on the grass before the tennis courts. With help from the film company, the finishing stretch was remeasured to ensure that the course remained accurate. We are sorry if the unforeseen change spoilt any competitors enjoyment of the race. I'm sure you will join me in thanking the marshals who did an excellent job in guiding the runners through the improvised finish area.
We hope that there will be no repeat of the disruption next month.
Please note that Run and Become will be closed immediately prior to the June race so you are
advised to enter in advance if at all possible.

Note: This may be the first time you are looking at your results on our new database. Although a great deal of time has gone into loading and validating the data there will inevitably be errors (sometimes different first names or initials have been used in different races etc etc). We very much want this to be a valuable source of performances and memories for you so click on Correct a mistake on the left and advise your amendments. Please be sure to let us have your date of birth if we don't have it - this is the best way of avoiding duplicates and lets us give you your age graded results.

Last Friday 5k (29 Aug 2003)

The winning women and men

Kate Symons,Julie Bleasdale,Sally Musson

Keith Newton,Nick Altmann,Mike Boucher

Another well-supported race. My sincere thanks to Runners World for agreeing to support the race for another year. A fine run by Richard Pitcairn-Knowles who yet again broke the V70 course record. Subject to our stats man's confirmation, I believe that Sally Musson's excellent run also set a new course best for her age group. The men's race was won by clear distance by Nick Altman and the ladies' by Julie Bleasdale. I was particularly pleased by the number of ladies who turned up today.Thanks also to the marshals and helpers for giving up their time on a damp day, especially Owen Barder and John Batchelor (Ilford AC), who both got roped in at the last minute to fulfil the time-keeping roles. Other helpers included: Bev Thomas, David Knight, Bob Cherrie, Anthony Stranger-Jones, Alan Woodward, Charles Lescott, Jerome Nogues, Rob Maslen, Simon Lawrence, Sally Hodge, Martin Garrett, Sid Wills, Lars Menken and Huw Keane.

Last Friday 5k (26 Sep 2003)

The winning women and men

Stacey Ward,Annie Emmerson,Kate Symons

Bruce Weber,David Warrington,Dave Cox

It was a beautiful autumn day for this month's race. The perfect running conditions brought out a full field, with the entry limit being reached.

There was a new M50 course record with Dave Cox breaking Liam O'Hare's longstanding mark and also claiming third place overall.

The race winner, Dave Warrington, knocked almost half a minute off his best time for the course.

Annie Emmerson was the leading women in 8th place overall. There was a close contest between Stacey Ward (Basildon) and Kate Symons (Thames Hare and Hounds)for second and third places.

You might like to know that entries for our New Year's Day 10k race are now being taken and you can enter online via the Serpentine website.

Malcolm French

Last Friday 5k (31 Oct 2003)

The winning women and men

Malinda MeyersEmma Calderbank,Bernadette Harrod

Nick AltmannMichael Traynor,Robin Copestick

The race was run in almost ideal conditions and no doubt this helped ensure that the event sold out again this month. It was good to see a large group of runners from Imperial College. The best performance of the day came from Dave Cox who knocked a further 9 seconds off of the M50 course record that he set last month. Many congratulations, Dave!
A couple of advance notes: the December race will be one week early, on 19/12. Also entries are now being taken for our New year's Day 10k and the accompanying 3k Fun Run.

Last Friday 5k (28 Nov 2003)

The winning women and men

Annie EmmersonMarguerite Lazell,Jane Laws

Joel AndersonNick Sasha,Gareth Balch

Another fine day saw a bumper turnout of runners, with our second largest field. So special thanks to all the helpers who made sure that things went smoothly. It was an excellent day for the ladies. Annie Emmerson reinforced her position as the only women to have run under 17 minutes on the course. She was followed by Jane Laws whose excellent time of 18:21 was a W45 course record. Not to be outdone, Sally Musson also trimmed several seconds off her W50 record with her fine run of 19:21.
The winner, Joel Anderson was visiting from the USA. We hope that Joel, and all of the competitors enjoyed the event.

Last Friday 5k (19 Dec 2003)

The winning women and men

Julia Bleasdale Annie Emmerson Faye Fullerton

Lee MerrienMatt Shore Rob Hand

A real (Christmas) cracker of a race. Records galore! Annie Emmerson broke her women's course record but this wasn't enough to beat Julia Bleasdale who set a new mark with her fine run of 16:33. In third place, Great Britain Junior International, Faye Fullerton, broke the FU20 record as well as being only the third lady ever to go under 17 minutes. There were age group records for Jane Laws (W45) and Sally Musson (W50). Debbie Gibbons run gave her the year's best performance for a W40. Lee Merrien's fine run of 15:10 has only been bettered by two men, Andy Arrand and Huw Lobb, and Rob Hand's M40 time has only been bettered by one other man. Dave Gibson set the year's best time for a M60. Congratulations to you all - and to all the runners, marshals and officials who have supported the series during 2003. The next race is on Friday, 30 January (not Sunday, 25 January as shown in one magazine). We'll be starting up a "Last Friday League." Details of the 2003 "shadow" series appear elsewhere on the website.

Last Friday 5k (27 Feb 2004)

The January race had to be cancelled because of icy conditions underfoot.
The cold and windy conditions meant that fast times were at a premium. However, that didn't prevent the race from being one in emphatic style with Barry Stephenson coming home almost a minute ahead of the next man. Jane Laws series of fine "Last Friday" races continued as she headed the women and in a time that was only a little outside her best for the course.

The Management of the Lido Cafe have asked me to remind you that runners are not allowed to change in the Cafe. Three compliants were made by customers using the Cafe and as we don't want to risk the Management's goodwill, I would ask for you to make sure that you change outside or in the toilets in future.

Malcolm French

Last Friday 5k (26 Mar 2004)

A very competitive race that saw 7 men finishing inside 16 minutes. However, pride of place must go to the ladies. Jane Laws recorded an amazing age-graded 91% in breaking both her W45 record and adding the W40 and W35 records to her collection as well. No wonder she looked pleased afterwards! Sally Musson broke her own W50 record and Ena Urich was only 3 seconds outside of the W65 record. There was also a new age group record for the men as Keith Newton set a new M40 mark. Dave Cox had another fine run, finishing just 5 seconds outside of the M50 mark.

Last Friday 5k (30 Apr 2004)

The race saw a convincing win for Ben Hope (WG&EL) while in the ladies section Malinda Myers (Headington) was a narrow winner from Juliette Clake (Belgrave). Despite the wet underfoot conditions, there were age group year's bests from Barry Broe (M45), Dave Gibson (M60) and Edmund Simpson (M65).

We were pleased to welcome a group of runners from the National Magazine Company who were running for the National Asthma Campaign. We hope you all enjoyed the race.

Last Friday 5k (28 May 2004)

Usual course not available because of an event in the park and some runners went off the replacement course - some going over distance and some under distance. Therefore offical results not published and results shown here are unofficial.

Last Friday 5k (25 Jun 2004)

The presence of fencing surrounding an area set aside for a pop concert meant that the opening section of the route had to be changed slightly. It also meant that there were a lot of heavy good vehicles in the Park, something we don't usually encounter. So special thanks go to marshals who did a good job in keeping the runners and lorries safely apart. Although the course remained accurate, the temporary changes added two sharp turns that would have slowed the runners. In the circumstances, the leading men's and women's performances were particularly creditable. However, the only "year's best" performance came from Jim Leith (Hillingdon AC)in the M70 age group. Although this is a "low key" race, it is held under UK Athletics rules and so we would like to remind the runners that pacing (e.g. on bikes) isn't allowed.

John Walker & Malcolm French

Last Friday 5k (30 Jul 2004)

LOST PROPERTY

A pair of womens leggings and some unused race vouchers were left at The Bandstand. If they are yours, please contact Malcolm French on 020 8422 3900 or MalcolmFrench@aol.com

The race was run in good conditions. On this occaision the first man past the winning post, Martin Shore, wasn't the quickest runner. David Gitau set off in race two and set the fastest time of the day and, in fact, the fastest time so far seen this year. There was also a 2004 age group best from Edmond Simpson in the M65 category.

Good to see a very competitive women's section where 11 ladies ran under 20 minutes.

As always, my thanks to all the marshals and helpers, without whome there wouldn't be a race.

Last Friday 5k (27 Aug 2004)

Despite the dismal weather, there was a good turnout and a competitive race. The first four men entered the finishing straight close together with David Gitau just keeping ahead and recording a time that was only a little slower than his July one. The first three ladies, Sally Hannah, Malinda Myers and Emma Calderbank, all recorded their best times on the revised course, while Marion Rayner and Pauline Rich both placed highly on an age graded basis.
Special thanks go to all the people who gave up their lunch breaks on such a wet day to help organise and marshal the race.

Last Friday 5k (24 Sep 2004)

Thanks, as always, to the Serpies and our friends from other clubs who kindly turned out to marshal and help organise the race.
Unfortunately, due to an incorrectly positioned marshal (which was entirely my fault), the opening km of the race was c.150m too long. Sorry about this. I hope it didn't spoil your enjoyment of the race too much.
Congratulations to our leading runners, Stacey Ward and Paul Major and to our leading age-graded competitors, Peter Brown (86.5%) and Dave Cox (84.7%). It was also good to see Trevor Jones race walking - and beating a good many runners!

Malcolm French

Last Friday 5k (29 Oct 2004)

Early morning rain cleared and we had an exciting race with the two Thames Hare and Hounds colleagues battling it out right the way to the line. They were followed by two runners who, I think, are from the Norwegian club, Varegg.
There was a fine run from Emily Pidgeon,who set an age-group series record. As far as I can recall, only three ladies of any age (Julia Bleasdale, Annie Emmerson and Faye Fullerton) have ever run quicker.
At the other end of the age spectrum, Les Presland and Tom Everitt ran the best times seen so far this year in their respective age groups.
Thank you, as always, to all the race helpers and marshals, who all have to take time away from their normal "day jobs" to organise the race and who coped splendidly with the large field. Do take a look at David Knight's race photos.
The next race will be on 26 November. The December race will be on New Year's Eve, 31 December at the usual time.

Malcolm French

Last Friday 5k (26 Nov 2004)

The next race will be on Friday, 31 December, starting at the normal time of 12.30pm.

Please take a look at David Knight's excellent photos at www.dwknight.co.uk

Another competitive race that saw 2004 bests in three age groups: Joyce Smith (W70), Les Presland (M65) and Tom Everitt (M70). We were pleased to welcome groups of runners from UBS, Imperial College and the British Milers Club.

Note:
You can now get your result sent by text message. Log on at:

http://www.serpentine.org.uk/rdb/welcome.php

and enter your mobile number. We pick up the cost, so there is nothing for you to pay.

This will be a permanent feature for the 5k and all other
future races with the club, we already use it for internal races.

Last Friday 5k (31 Dec 2004)

Many congratulations to Les Presland (AFD) who is the inaugural winner of our LFOTM Championship. Les achieved a fine average age graded score of 86.8% for his best six races in 2004. I see that 47 people ran in 6 or more races this year but only one person, Alistair Jackson, ran in all of them.
Great to see so many marshals, timekeepers, recorders and other helpers. Thank you all for giving up your valuable time. Without your involvement, there wouldn't be a race.
There were several notable performances this month, headed by two "All Time" age-group records. Jo King's time of 17:16 set a W35 record while Richard Holland broke the long-standing M45 record with his time of 16:10.
There were also 2004 fastest times in a number of age-groups by Julia Bleasdale (SL), Richard Mann (MU17), Mumin Geeie (MU20) and Ronald Hale (M75).
We look forward to seeing you in 2005.

Last Friday 5k (28 Jan 2005)

Given the poor conditions, there was a fine winning run from Ewen Malloch who finished well clear of a close group of nine other runners. Generally, the stong wind meant that times were slower than normal, although in winning Bronze, Maureen Noel ran her best time for the series.
We were pleased to welcome a large group of runners from Imperial College and other groups from the Football League's HQ and BNP.
Due to a technical hitch we were not able to send results by SMS text, sorry for this.

Last Friday 5k (25 Feb 2005)

Although conditions were not conducive to fast times, we were treated to a fine race as James Shane, narrowly held off Richard Stannard. In doing so, James set a new MU17 age group record, removing a full 30 seconds from the old mark. James is just 15 and I'm sure he must be the youngest winner of the race. Two weeks later, James was to win his age-group race at the Inter-Counties Cross Country Championship.
In the ladies section, Kelly Crickmore was a convincing winner, finishing in 30th place overall.
We were very pleased to welcome a group of talented young athletes from Basildon AC, who were using the race to help them prepare for the Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships. We wish them every success in this event.
Particular thanks to all the marshals and other race helpers for giving up their time on such a cold day.

Please note that the March race will take place on Good Friday.

Last Friday 5k (25 Mar 2005)

This was the 146th race in the series and without doubt our strongest field. As it was Good Friday, the park paths were very busy and I would like to thank all the marshals for ensuring that the race passed off smoothly.
There were a host of year's best times and two very special performances. Julia Bleasdale's winning time of 16:23 set a new women's record for the entire series. Huw Lobb had a great attempt on the long-standing men's record and although he was a little outside this, his time of 14:41 was by far the quickest seen on the current version of the course and the second fastest time for the series. Behind Huw, Ewan Malloch set the fourth fastest time for the series.
Do take a look at the race photos on http://www.dwknight.co.uk

Last Friday 5k (27 May 2005)

Property left at The Bandstand - a digital camera. If it is yours, please contact Malcolm French, 020 8422 3900 or MalcolmFrench@aol.com

The BBC reported that this had been the hottest May day in 60 years. This, combined with the strong wind, meant that conditions were tough with most times being slower than usual. So the performance by Nina Griffith, Dave Cox and Ron Hale were particularly noteworthy as they all set year's best times for their age groups.

Last Friday 5k (24 Jun 2005)

The start of the Hyde Park concert season necessitated a change to the opening kilometre of the course as our usual route was blocked. With the concert commencing at 2.00pm there was a major increase in the number of people in the park. I thought that the marshals did an excellent job in challenging circumstances to ensure that the race was completed safely.

Last Friday 5k (29 Jul 2005)

This was our 150th race and we were delighted to be joined by Lyndon Collins (Sevenoaks AC) who was one of the 5 runners who competed in the original race, and of course John Walker, who was Race Director for the first race in October 1992 and continues in this role.

My sincere thanks to all my club colleagues who turned out in force to help organise the race and ensured that the Anniversary event was so successful

Malcolm French

Last Friday 5k (26 Aug 2005)

Another sold out, competitive yet friendly race. Pride of place must go to Joyce Smith who set a new series W75 age group record and in doing so also bettered the W70 best. There were also age group 2005 bests from Helen Smethurst (W40), Les Presland (M65) and John Hayward (M75). My thanks, as always, go to all the volunteers who gave up their lunch breaks to help stage the race. David Knigtht took some excellent pictures that you can see on www.dwknight.co.uk

Last Friday 5k (30 Sep 2005)

The heavens opened just as the race started and all the runners, and everyone else, got a good soaking. So first, many thanks to all the marshals who smiled through the rain and to the recorders who battled with soggy paperwork. Thanks also to Lars Menken, who was putting the results together for the first time and did an excellent job. The weather didn't stop there being plenty of very competitive performances. In particular, there were age group 2005 bests from Cecilia Morrison (W65), Dave Cox (M50) and Les Presland (M65).

Last Friday 5k (28 Oct 2005)

The race saw a new Series Record in the M50 age group. Congratulations to Keith Bateman from Paddington - not Paddington, London but rather Paddington near Sydney in Australia. There were also 2005 year bests from Yasmin Chaudhri (FU17) and Helen Smethurst (F40).

Last Friday 5k (25 Nov 2005)

First, to confirm that the next race will be on Friday, 30 December.
Many thanks to all the marshals and officials for coming along on such a bitterly cold day.
Entries: you might like to know that although there were only 187 finishers, we issued 244 numbers against the race limit of 200. There was a much higher than average number of non-starters.
In view of the high number of postal entries now being received, we have decided to stop having race vouchers on sale from Run & Become. We will, of course, continue to honour those vouchers currently outstanding on the exisitng \"first come, first served\" basis.

Last Friday 5k (30 Dec 2005)

The conditions were not conducive to fast times but despite this Ed Jackson became only the third man to break 15 minutes on the current course, which has been used since May 2004. His time is the second fastest on record. To the best of my recollection, Alistair Moses time is the fourth best on record.
We were very pleased to welcome groups from Basildon AC and Kent AC and their athletes produced some fine performances. But I think that all of the runners and all of the race officials are to be congratulated on turning out on such a foul day. You may be interested to know that we took 244 entries against the race limit of 200 although only 148 runners competed.

Last Friday 5k (27 Jan 2006)

Tom Pollak reports: The first race in the 2006 series got off to a bright and breezy start. The undoubted highlight was the run by the 1962 European 5000m Champion, Bruce Tulloh, who set a new M70 series record, slicing 3 seconds off the previous best set by Sevenoaks\' Richard Pitcairn-Knowles.
Just a couple of weeks after arriving in London from South Africa, Robert Cousens impressively flexed his muscles to head home Belgrave\'s Richard Ward.
A particularly close battle down the field in the M55 section where just two seconds separated the leading three runners.
GB triathlon and half marathon international Annie Emerson was a runaway winner of the women\'s section with her fastest time for some months.

Last Friday 5k (24 Feb 2006)

Another very competitive race although the strong, cold wind would have adversely affected times.

Last Friday 5k (31 Mar 2006)

After foul weather for the last few months

Last Friday 5k (28 Apr 2006)

Good conditions saw year\'s bests in the W35, W60, W65, M50, M55, M60 and M65 age groups. There were also close contests in the M40 and, especially, the M45 age groups. In the later, there was a virtual dead-heat between John Griffin and Paul Sexby.
My thanks to all the marshals and officials who gave up their lunch breaks to stage the race - and don\'t forget to take a look at David Knight\'s race photos on www.dwknight.co.uk

Last Friday 5k (26 May 2006)

A very closely contested ladies race with Amy Waterlow narrowly winning from a rapidly closing Rachel Townend. There was an excellent run from Sally Musson, whose W50 time is better than any achieved so far this year by a W40 or W45. June Johnson also set a W60 2006 best. It was very nice to see a party of ladies from Bergen, Norway: I hope you enjoyed the race. The men\'s section was more clear-cut with Robert Cousins pulling away to win from Orlando Edwards.
Please note that there may have to be a slight alteration to the opening 1km of the June race. This is because of the probable erection of concert fencing. However, we will have any alteration accurately measured.

Last Friday 5k (30 Jun 2006)

This was one of the closest races I can recall, with Robert Cousens and Huw Lobb being separated by less than 1 second at the finish. Despite the hot weather, both improved on the previous 2006 series senior men\'s best mark. Peter Fallenius, in third place, also set a best 2006 M40 performance, as did Cecilia Morrison in the W65 age group.

Last Friday 5k (28 Jul 2006)

There was another close finish with Robin Cousins holding on to win despite a spirited finish from Nick Martyn. Nick

Last Friday 5k (25 Aug 2006)

Good race conditions saw some excellent performances and there were age-group year bests from Blue Haywood (the 2006 AAA U17 3000m silver medallist), Gillian Palmer, Valerie Clews, Sally Musson, Cecilia Morrison, Anthony Pinol, Ray Marriott, Charlie Dixon and John Batchelor. Gillian and Blue set the two fastest women\'s times recorded so far in 2006.

Last Friday 5k (29 Sep 2006)

Heavy rain earlier in the morning had cleared in time for the race, which was run in bright but breezy conditions.
The undoubted highlight was the new M65 series record of 18:21 set by John Batchelor (Ilford AC). His time removed from the records the mark of 18:29 set by Ron Higgs (Barnet & District) in January 1999. I believe that John

Last Friday 5k (27 Oct 2006)

Good running conditions. My thanks to all the marshals who gave up their lunch breaks to help stage the race. It was nice to see several people marshalling for the first time. I hope you enjoyed the experience,
We were pleased to welcome back a group of very good young athletes from Basildon AC, with James Shane taking a convincing victory. The women

Last Friday 5k (24 Nov 2006)

The race saw first time wins for Kevin Quin and Liz Brathwaite. Liz is better known as a track runner, but put in a good

Last Friday 5k (29 Dec 2006)

We were treated to one of the most competitive men\'s races that I can remember, with 7 men together until the final stages. There was an U17 Series Record for the third place finisher, James Shane (Basildon AC).

Charlotte Moore was a convincing winner of the women\'s section but the next three ladies, headed by the home club

Last Friday 5k (26 Jan 2007)

As you\'ll see, we\'ve added an M35 age group to the results.

Last Friday 5k (23 Feb 2007)

A heart rate monitor was left at the Bandstand on Friday. If it belongs to you, please contact me on malcolm_french@hotmail.com or MalcolmFrench@aol.com or 020 8422 3900.

Malcolm French

Repairs to the bridge meant that we had to use a different course this month. Hugh Jones kindly provided details of another accurately measured 5k course, which had been used for the 2004 Civil Service Championships. My thanks to all the marshals, who always give so generously of their time, and who made sure that the runners safely negotiated the temporary route.

The winner, Tom Boardman, set an Under-20 series record. Tom was a member of the winning St Mary

Last Friday 5k (30 Mar 2007)

This month, five of the seven best age-graded performances came from ladies, headed by Cecilia Morrison

Last Friday 5k (27 Apr 2007)

There were a host of good performances. Sophie Morris became one of a select group of women to have dipped under 17 minutes, while Adrian Marriott

Last Friday 5k (25 May 2007)

Congratulations to Pam Jones, who set an all-time series record in the W70 age group. My thanks to all the marshals and officials for giving up their lunch breaks to stage the race.

Thanks also to Andy Davidson (South London Harriers) for kindly offering a free sports massage to some lucky runners. Andy hopes to be back next month, but in the meantime he can be contacted on 07815 118887 or andy_davidson_1@yahoo.co.uk

Someone left a very distinctive t-shirt and new sports cap at the Bandstand. If they belong to you, please get in touch with me on MalcolmFrench@aol.com or 020 8422 3900.

Last Friday 5k (29 Jun 2007)

Torrential rain immediately prior to the start gave both runners and marshals a thorough soaking but the sun reappeared as the race commenced. There were Series Records in the 70+ age group by both Pam Jones and Edmund Simpson, while Cecilia Morrison again recorded the best age-graded performance. Serious travel disruption in Central London meant the turnout was much lower than usual and the race had hardly finished before the Police decided to evacuate part of Hyde Park.

Last Friday 5k (27 Jul 2007)

The race was held 5 years to the day before the opening of the 2012 London Olympics.

Last Friday 5k (31 Aug 2007)

IMPORTANT NOTE: a set of keys was found near the finish. If they belong to you, please contact Malcolm French on 020 8422 3900, 07788 167652 or malcolmfrench@aol.com

Huw Lobb set the fastest Senior Men’s time so far for 2007 as three men bettered 16 minutes. The women’s section also was strongly contested with nine ladies breaking 19 minutes. Pam Jones improved the W70 all-time series record to 24:50. There were a number of other notable Masters performances, especially those from Jane Laws, Ros Tabor, Cecilia Morrison, Ray Marriott, Charlie Dickinson and Edmond Simpson.

I know that a number of our regular competitors are heading off to Italy in a few days time to compete in the World Masters Track & Field Championships and I’d like to wish all of them the very best of luck.

Last Friday 5k (28 Sep 2007)

The ladies were the stars of the show on a wet and miserable afternoon. Ten women were under 21 minutes. Jane Georghiou equalled the "All Time" W55 series record of 20:28. There was another W70 series record for Pam Jones, who has improved the mark from 25:08 to 24:49 over the last 5 months.
To the best of my recollection, this is the first time a man from the organising club, Serpentine RC, has won the race.

Last Friday 5k (30 Nov 2007)

Another event taking place along Serpentine Road (Winter Wonderland) meant changes to the course. The start was on Broadwalk, with the finish being on the Parade Ground.

Last Friday 5k (28 Dec 2007)

The 2007 series ended on a high note with Rachel Townend smashing the All-Time women’s record by a massive 33 seconds. She achieved this despite conditions that were cool and windy; hardly conducive to fast times. Her time of 15:56 places her fifth in the 2007 UK Rankings.

Tom Penfold’s winning time was the fastest man’s time for 2007.

Congratulations also to Cecilia Morrison, who won the Age-Graded Championship with an average performance of 93.5%, topped off by a PB in this month’s race. We look forward to presenting her with her trophy at the January race.

Well done, also, to Phil Kelvin and Alistair Jackson, who had the distinction of being the only people to have completed every race in 2007.

Last Friday 5k (29 Feb 2008)

We were pleased to welcome a large group of runners from Sport England: we hope you enjoyed your race.

Last Friday 5k (28 Mar 2008)

Nick Martyn (Highgate Harriers) set a new M40 series record, which was an outstanding performance given the dreadful conditions.

Last Friday 5k (25 Apr 2008)

Congratulations to Sally Musson on setting a new Series Record for the W55 age group.

A lot of people asked me who the very smartly dressed people were by The Bandstand. It turns out that they were the organisers, plus police and Security Service personnel, involved with the forthcoming Cavalry Parade and Memorial Service. If you want to go along and spectate, the Parade will be on Sunday, 11 May at The Bandstand. There's music from 5 military bands from 10.15am, with the march-past at 10.55am and wreath laying at 11.30am. The parade will include the Horse Guards, the Blues and Royals, the Heavy Cavalry, the Light Cavalry and the Royal Yeomanry.

IMPORTANT: JUNE RACE – please note that the June race will be brought forward one week to 20 June. This is because a concert will be taking place in Hyde Park on 27 June, with the gates opening at 12.00, noon.

Last Friday 5k (30 May 2008)

Please note that the next race will be on Friday, 20 June (i.e. one week early).

Another good race for the ladies. Lucy Hasell became one of the few women to have bettered 17 minutes, while Sally Musson and Pam Jones both improved the Series Records in their age groups.

We say farewell to “Last Friday 5k” Series Director, John Walker, who will shortly be moving abroad. John has been Series Director since the very first race in October 1992, when there were just 5 runners. The May 2008 race was the 184th Last Friday race he has overseen. I’m sure you’d like to join me in thanking John for all the hard work he has put in over many years to develop the Series into the success it is today and to wish John and Sue every happiness in their new life overseas.

Malcolm French

Last Friday 5k (25 Jul 2008)

Congratulations to Dave Cox who equalled the M55 series record, which dates back to 1999.

Last Friday 5k (29 Aug 2008)

Congratulations to Dave Cox on breaking the M55 series record – and by a large margin.

Last Friday 5k (28 Nov 2008)

Expansion of the Winter Wonderland site meant that a new 2-lap course in the northwest section of Hyde Park was used.

The next race will be on Friday, 19 December, starting at the normal time of 12.30pm. The start / finish and meeting place will again be the Boat House and we will be using the same 2-lap course as was used in November.

Last Friday 5k (19 Dec 2008)

We again used the 2-lap course in the northeast section of Hyde Park. Congratulations to James Shane on setting a new U20 men’s series record.

Congratulations too go to Cecilia Morrison on winning the Overall age-graded competition, with an average grading of 95.8% and to John Batchelor who was the leading man with an average score of exactly 90%. You’ll find the full championship table on www.serpentine.org.uk/rdb/friday/table.php?year=2008

I anticipate that we will be able to revert to the normal course around the Serpentine for the January race with separate A and B starts (separated at 21 minutes) and using the Bandstand as the meeting point.

Last Friday 5k (29 May 2009)

A fine run by Florian Neuschwander, who became one of the few men to run under 15 minutes for the current course. From memory, his time is second only to that of Huw Lobb (14:41 in March 2005).

Please note that the meeting point for the June race will be the Boathouse, not the Bandstand. Also, we will have to use use the two lap course that we used in November and December 2008. This is becase one of the Hardrockcalling concerts will be taking place.

Last Friday 5k (26 Jun 2009)

A concert was taking place later in the day. Therefore the 2-lap course in the northwest section of Hyde Park was used.

Last Friday 5k (25 Sep 2009)

Two series records were set, Sally Musson in the W55 age group and Les Presland, who on his 70th birthday, no less, broke the M70 all-time record. Congratulations to you both.

Last Friday 5k (30 Oct 2009)

November and December races – because of the Winter Wonderland fair, the race meeting point will be the Boathouse, not the Bandstand. The Boathouse is about 600m past the Bandstand, on the same side of the lake.

Last Friday 5k (27 Nov 2009)

The next race will be on 18 December (one week early). The meeting place will again be the Boathouse.

Entries are currently being taken for the Brooks sponsored Serpentine New Year's Day 10k. Closing date, 8 December. Entries via www.entrycentral.com/index.php?festivalID=25

Last Friday 5k (18 Dec 2009)

Congratulations to Cecilia Morrison who won the 2009 Last Friday 5k Championship. Cecilia’s average age grading for her best 6 races was a hugely impressive 97%, with a highest result of 98.4%. In second place was Sally Musson with an average of 90.7% and Paul Lemmon on 86.2% was third. We’ll present Cecilia with her trophy immediately before the January race.

Thank you to all the runners who have supported the races during 2009 and I’m sure that in turn, you would like to thank all the volunteers who take time out of their lunch breaks to organise the races every month.

The January race will revert to the normal course around the lake, with the meeting place returning to the Bandstand. We'll also have the usual A and B races, with the split for the races being 22 minutes.

Malcolm French

Last Friday 5k (29 Jan 2010)

Many congratulations to Clare Elms who set a new W45 series record, also breaking the W40 record in the process.

Last Friday 5k (30 Apr 2010)

We were pleased to welcome Brent Weigner, Race Director of the Wyoming Marathon. I know some of you like to run abroad, so if you’re travelling to the USA, you might like to know that Brent’s race is on 30 May, see www.angelfire.com/wy2/marathon

Congratulations to Nick Torry who has been selected to run for England in the Middlefart (Denmark) Half Marathon on 8th May.

Congratulations also to Sally Musson, who’s a LFOTM5k regular. Sally’s London Marathon time of 3:05:21 was a new UK record for the W55 age group.

Last Friday 5k (28 May 2010)

Congratulations to Sally Musson who set a new W55 Series Record, reducing her previous time from 19:53 to 19:45.

IMPORTANT: JUNE RACE - Please note that perimeter fencing around the HardRock concert site will mean that our normal course will be blocked. Therefore, we will use the 2-lap “winter” course, with the meeting point being by the Boathouse (not the Bandstand).

Last Friday 5k (25 Jun 2010)

Congratulations to Sally Musson on improving her own W55 series record.

Concert fencing meant that the 2-lap "Boathouse" course was used.

A key and a ring were found close to the finish area. If either belongs to you, please contact Malcolm French on MalcolmFrench@aol.com

Last Friday 5k (30 Jul 2010)

Good weather conditions helped ensure that there were some excellent performances, including Sally Musson improving her W55 series record by 13 seconds. However, pride of place must go to Cecilia Morrison, whose time of 22:16 wasn’t simply a W70 series record, but set a new UK Age Group 5k Road Best Performance. Many congratulations, Cecilia!

Last Friday 5k (27 Aug 2010)

Congratulations to Sally Musson who reduced her W55 Series record by a further 6 seconds.

Last Friday 5k (24 Sep 2010)

It will be a great help to the Number Recorders if all runners pin their numbers at chest height, not at waist level or one their back, and use four safety pins, one in each corner. Plenty of pins are always available from Registration on race day. If your number is flapping loose, folded over or on your back, we won’t be able to read it and consequently, you won’t appear in the results.

Last Friday 5k (29 Oct 2010)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION - November and December races: The Hyde Park Christmas Fair, Winter Wonderland, means that will not be able to use the usual course or have access to the Bandstand. Instead we’ll use the 2-lap course that starts and finish at the Boathouse. This is also where we’ll meet. In order to minimise lapping, there will just be one race with everyone starting at the same time.

Please note that the December race will be on Christmas Eve, not 31 December.

A pair of Nike gloves were left at the Bandstand. If they're yours, please contact Malcolm French on lfotm5k@serpentine.org.uk

Last Friday 5k (26 Nov 2010)

A pair of racing flats were left behind. If they belong to you, please contact Malcolm French on MalcolmFrench@aol.com

Please note that the next race will be on Christmas Eve, starting at the usual time of 12.30pm. The meeting point will again be the Boathouse, not the Bandstand.

Last Friday 5k (24 Dec 2010)

Congratulations to Clare Elms, who set new Series Records in both the W40 and W45 age groups. Given the conditions, this was a terrific achievement. Clare’s time was also faster than any achieved by a Senior Woman in 2010.

Congratulations also to Cecilia Morrison who is the overall series Age-Graded Champion for 2010 (best 6 races count). Cecilia had an average age grade of 98.4%. I hope we will be able to make a presentation to Cecilia prior to the January race.

Last Friday 5k (28 Jan 2011)

Congratulations to John Batchelor (Ilford AC) whose time of 20:26 is a new M70 series record.

IMPORTANT - at the request of the Police, the April race will not take place until Friday, 6 May. For security reasons, they do not want the race to take place on the same day as the Royal Wedding or in the days leading up to the event.

Last Friday 5k (25 Feb 2011)

Congratulations to John Batchelor who lowered his own M70 series record by 10 seconds.

James Shane's time is the second quickest on this course, behind Huw Lobb’s 14:41 (March 2005) and the third fastest of the entire series.

ADVANCE WARNING: there will be no race in APRIL. However, to compensate, there will be two races in May, on the 6th and 27th. The March race will go ahead as normal on Friday, 25th.

Last Friday 5k (25 Mar 2011)

Please note that there will be no race in April. The next race will be on Friday, 6 May and then on Friday, 27 May. When entering these races, please state clearly on the entry form which one you want to run in.

Numbers for the 6 May race will not be posted before 14 April.

Congratulations to John Batchelor (Ilford AC) on another fine run, improving his own M70 Series Record by a further 27 seconds.

The race was the correct distance. The obstruction had been removed before the runners reached it. Thanks to the marshals in this area for facilitating this.

Last Friday 5k (27 May 2011)

Congratulations to John Batchelor who improved the M70 Series Record by 9 seconds to 19:40.

24 JUNE RACE - Please note that one of the Hardrock Calling concerts means that we will not be able to use the usual course or have access to the Bandstand. Instead, we will meet at the BOATHOUSE (which is about 600m beyond the Bandstand, also on the north bank of the Serpentine) and use the 2-lap course, measured by Hugh Jones, in the Meadows area of Hyde Park that we used last winter.

A REMINDER: please wear your race number on your chest. If it’s on your back, the marshals out on the course cannot distinguish you from people having a casual lunchtime run and neither can the judges and timekeepers at the finish.

Please can you use four safety pins to secure your number, one at each corner. A number that has just two pins easily folds over and cannot be read at the finish. We always have plenty of spare safety pins available on the day.

Please do not wear headphones when you’re taking part in the race. There were two incidents this month that arose because runners were listening to music, etc., and clearly could not hear marshals’ warnings about an obstruction ahead. Hyde Park gets busy, especially during the summer months, and you must be able to hear any advice the marshals give you.

Last Friday 5k (24 Jun 2011)

29 JULY RACE: will revert to the usual course around the Serpentine with the meeting point, start and finish being at the Bandstand.

Last Friday 5k (29 Jul 2011)

Congratulations to Pam Jones who set a new W75 Series record.

Construction work in preparation for the World Triathlon Championship event meant that the 2-lap course in the Meadows area of Hyde Park was used. Thanks to all the marshals who coped so well in the face of this late change of course.

Last Friday 5k (26 Aug 2011)

We saw a fine race, despite the wet conditions, with Ros Tabor setting a new all-time series record (21:40) in the W60 age group. The two Kenyan guys both broke the men’s course record, although the winner, Gordon Mugi, ended up an agonising 2 seconds outside of the all-time series record that has stood since 1999.

Important information about September to December races.

I’ve received the following message from the Royal Parks Agency. “From the week commencing 29th August 2011, we will be starting works on the installation of a new outlet to the Serpentine lake, which will result in disruption to the Fishermans Keep (East)/Rotten Row/Dell Bridge area.

The project will run into December and as there will be significant excavations, we will need to divert cyclists and pedestrians onto adjoining footpaths, all of which will be sign posted and lit. Rotten Row horse ride will still be accessible to all horse riders, although the width in this area may have to be reduced by 50%.”

This means that we cannot use the course around the Serpentine lake for the remaining 2011 races. Instead, we will use the 2-lap course that starts and finishes by the Boathouse, with the meeting point being close to the Boathouse.

Malcolm French

Last Friday 5k (30 Sep 2011)

Please note that the 28 October race will again start and finish at the Boathouse. This is because of ongoing construction work in Hyde Park.

Lost property: QPR top left near finish. If it’s yours, please email Malcolm French (MalcolmFrench@aol.com) to arrange its return.

Last Friday 5k (28 Oct 2011)

Congratulations to Roz Tabor on further improving her all-time series W60 record.

The meeting point for the November race will again be the Boathouse with the 2-lap course being used.

Winter Wonderland will be taking place, so you may need to leave a few extra minutes to get to the start.

Please remember that your race number needs to be pinned on the front of your running top. Plenty of safety pins are available on race day, should you not have your own.

Please note that the December race will be on Friday the 30th. I believe that some magazines/websites are incorrectly showing the 23rd.

Last Friday 5k (25 Nov 2011)

The next race will be on Friday, 30 December.

Some money was found after all the bags had been removed. If it belongs to you and you know how much you lost, please contact Malcolm French on lfotm5k@serpentine.org.uk If unclaimed, we’ll donate it to the marshals tea fund.

For those of you who like to enter the Last Friday races well in advance, please note that for the time being, I am only taking entries up to and including the April race. This is because the Royal Parks Agency has yet to advise the club which areas of the Park we will be able to use thereafter, given all the other events they have planned for next summer.

A reminder that entries are open for our New Year’s Day 10k in Hyde Park. Entry information is on www.serpentine.org.uk/pages/nyd10k.html

Malcolm French
Serpentine Running Club

Last Friday 5k (30 Dec 2011)

Lost property: A Hillingdon AC vest with number 95 attached to it. If you picked it up, please contact Malcolm French on MalcolmFrench@aol.com

Congratulations to Clare Elms whose time of 17:42 ranks her UK number 1 for the W45 age group.

Congratulations to Cecilia Morrison on being the Overall Series Champion for 2011 with an average age-grading of 95.7%. I hope we will be able to present Cecilia with her trophy at the January race. Also, well done to the four 2011 “ever-presents,” Tim Alexander, Alistair Jackson, Andrea Sanders-Reece and Nina Williams.

For the January 2012 race we will revert to the “traditional” course around the Serpentine and the A and B race format (split at 22 minutes). The meeting point will also revert to the Bandstand.

Our thanks to Brooks (www.brooksrunning.co.uk/run_happy_en.html) for agreeing to continue their sponsorship of the Last Friday series for 2012.

We are discussing the summer races the The Royal Parks. At the present time they have not been Licensed. It is likely that Olympic and Paralympic construction work will mean that the races will have to be moved to Kensington Gardens with the dates brought forward one week to 20 July and 24 August.

Malcolm French

Last Friday 5k (24 Feb 2012)

Future race dates: - please note that the July and August races will be one week early, on 20 July and 24 August. They will be staged in Kensington Gardens rather than Hyde Park.

Last Friday 5k (30 Mar 2012)

A reminder that the July and August races will be brought forward one week to 20 July and 24 August (still Fridays) and will be held in Kensington Gardens. The start and finish will be close to Queensway tube station.

Last Friday 5k (27 Apr 2012)

Advance notice: in order to avoid clashes with Olympic and Paralympic events, the July and August races will both be brought forward one week to 20 July and 24 August and will be held in Kensington Gardens. The start and finish will be close to the Queensway tube park entrance. The races will still start at the usual time of 12.30pm.

Last Friday 5k (29 Jun 2012)

Congratulations to Edmond Simpson who set a new M75 Series Record with a time of 23:25. This took 17 seconds off of Ron Hale’s longstanding best for this age group.

Olympic construction work meant that the race was held on a 2-lap course in Kensington Gardens.

Please note that the July and August races will be one week early, on Friday, 20 July and Friday, 24 August. Both will be held in Kensington Gardens. The start time will be unchanged at 12.30pm.

Last Friday 5k (20 Jul 2012)

A reminder that the August race will be one week early, on Friday, 24 August. The venue will again be Kensington Gardens. Usual start time of 12.30pm. The date change is because many of the regular marshals and judges will be volunteer Gamesmakers at the Paralympic Games.

We had a surprise visit from a TV crew from the Olympic Broadcasting Service. They were there to interview Roy Stratton, who will be one of the Olympic torch bearers on its journey through London. It also gave them an opportunity to cover some grassroots athletics in Central London.

Last Friday 5k (24 Aug 2012)

The race was held in Kensington Gardens.

The Royal Parks Agency has indicated that we should be able to return to Hyde Park for the 28 September race. However, because of the time that it will take to clear the park of the Olympic and "Proms in the Park" constructions and the reinstatement work that will undoubtedly be required thereafter, I want to make sure that we will have a clear course. Therefore, I will not be sending out the race numbers until 12 September at the earliest.

I’d like to give a timely plug for the Middlesex 10k (incorporating the Middlesex County 10k Championship), which will be held in Victoria Park, Hackney on Saturday, 29 September, starting at 10.30am and for which I’m taking the entries. Online entries are via either the RunnersWorld (www.runnersworld.co.uk) or RunBritain www.runbritain.com/onlineentry) websites. If you'd like a postal entry form, please email me on MalcolmFrench@aol.com and I'll send you one.

Malcolm French

Last Friday 5k (28 Sep 2012)

You may like to know that the October race will see the Last Friday 5k series celebrate its 20th Anniversary.

Last Friday 5k (26 Oct 2012)

Last Friday 5k (30 Nov 2012)

The next race will be on Friday, 28 December, starting at the normal time of 12.30pm. The meeting point will again be the Boathouse.

Last Friday 5k (28 Dec 2012)

The 2012 series ended with James McMurray setting an all-time series Under 20 record. At just 17 years of age, James is the youngest outright winner of the race.

The 25 January race will revert to the A and B Race format and use the course around the Serpentine with the meeting point being the Bandstand.

Last Friday 5k (25 Jan 2013)

Please note that the March race will be on Good Friday, 29 March.

Last Friday 5k (22 Feb 2013)

Please note that the next race will be on Good Friday, 29 March.

The Royal Parks has given us notice that the public toilets by the Bandstand will be closed for refurbishment for the March race. Toilets will be available at the Serpentine lakeside cafe. There are also toilets close to Hyde Park Corner tube station, but you will have to pay to use these (£0.50?).

Last Friday 5k (29 Mar 2013)

Congratulations to Matt Fayers, who set a new U20 series record.

Last Friday 5k (31 May 2013)

Lost Property

1. A item of property was found near the Bandstand. It has been handed in to the Hyde Park Police Station (this is the red brick building you pass about 1500m in to the race). If you think this belongs to you please contact PC Burns om 020 7161 9637 quoting reference 89/101/13.
2. A track suit belonging to one of the young athletes went missing. If you picked it up by mistake or know what happened to it, please can you contact Malcolm French on lfotm5k@serpentine.org.uk or 020 8422 3900.

Advance notice – the meeting point for the 28 June race will be the Boathouse, not the Bandstand, and we will be using the 2-lap course that goes through the Meadows area of Hyde Park. The change is because fencing will be around the Summer Concert arena and consequently several of the footpaths we normally use will be blocked.

Advance Notice: the August race will be one week early, taking place on Friday, 23 August. The change is because later in the month construction work will be taking place in Hyde Park to prepare for the ITU World Triathlon Grand Prix Final and it will block our various courses.

Last Friday 5k (28 Jun 2013)

2-lap "Boathouse" course used.

Advance notice 1: 26 July race – we should be able to use the course around the lake, meeting at the Bandstand.

Advance Notice 2 : the August race will be one week early, taking place on Friday, 23 August. The change is because later in the month construction work will be taking place in Hyde Park to prepare for the ITU World Triathlon Grand Prix Final and it will block our various courses.

This month, not for the first time, there were safety issues as a consequence of runners wearing headphones who could not hear marshals’ warnings, on this occasion concerning lorries entering and leaving the concert site. The races in July and August are also likely to be affected by vehicle movements as the concert site is dismantled and the World Triathlon Championships arena is constructed. In the written race guidance note, we include a request that runners do not wear headphones when taking part in the race. With the heightened importance of runners being able to hear what the marshals are telling them, I regret that competitors who ignore this request will in future be disqualified. We know this will sound heavy handed but your safely is an important concern and we all want to avoid any accidents.

Last Friday 5k (26 Jul 2013)

A reminder that the August race will be one week early, taking place on Friday, 23 August.

Last Friday 5k (23 Aug 2013)

Congratulations to Dave Cox on setting a new M60 series record.

Unfortunately, several of the leading runners went off course at about the 1500m point. I’m not certain which runners were involved but the likelihood is that either Robbie Cox (WG&EL) or Steve Monaghan (London Heathside) was the first finisher to run the correct course.

If the people who went off course would like to contact me, Malcolm French, on lfotm5k@serpentine.org.uk I will either arrange for your entry fee to be refunded or for your entry to be carried forward to a future Serpentine 5k race.

Runners number 254 (time 23:47) and 354 (time 29:11) were disqualified for running wearing headphones. Please do not wear headphones. Hyde Park is very busy at lunchtimes in the interests of your safety and the safely of other park users, you must be able to hear any warnings or guidance that the course marshals or race officials give you.

Last Friday 5k (27 Sep 2013)

Note: Rick Weston started in the B Race.

Congratulations to Sally Musson who improved her W60 Series Record by 6 seconds to 21:21.

Last Friday 5k (25 Oct 2013)

Congratulations to both Sally Musson and Dave Cox who improved on the V60 series record times – each by 1 second!

There are further photos on http://www.flickr.com/groups/2387348@N22/ (after the London Colleges League race photos)

Advance notice – Winter Wonderland means that the November and December races will start and finish at the Boat House, not at the Bandstand, and we’ll be using the 2-lap course around the Meadows part of Hyde Park rather than going around the lake.

Last Friday 5k (29 Nov 2013)

The next race will be on Friday, 27 December, starting at the usual time of 12.30pm. The meeting point will again be close to the Boat House with the 2-lap course being used.

Last Friday 5k (27 Dec 2013)

The 2-lap "Boathouse" course was used.

A mobile phone was found after the race. Please contact Malcolm French - lfotm5k@serpentine.org.uk - 020 8422 3900 if it belongs to you.

Congratulations to Sally Musson who won the is 2013 series Brooks, Serpentine Last Friday of the Month 5k age-graded championship. Sally’s average for her best 6 races was 89.5% with a highest age-grading of 92.4%.

Also congratulations to Adrian Perry who was the only athlete to complete all 12 races in 2013.

The next race will be on Friday, 31 January when we should be able to revert to the course around the lake, meeting at the Bandstand.

Last Friday 5k (28 Feb 2014)

Please note that the May race will be one week early, taking place on Friday, 23 May.
This is because one of the World Triathlon Series events will be taking place on our "proper" date.

Last Friday 5k (23 May 2014)

ADVANCE NOTICE

1. The 27 June start, finish and meeting point will be by the Boathouse and we will use the 2-lap course around the Meadows area of Hyde Park. This is because of “summer concert” construction work.

2. The July race will be brought forward one week and will take place on Friday, 18 July. This is because a number of the members of the race organising team will be in Glasgow where they will be Commonwealth Games volunteers.

Last Friday 5k (27 Jun 2014)

A reminder that the next race will be one week early, FRIDAY, 18 JULY. We will again use the 2-lap course with the meeting point being at the Boat House.

Last Friday 5k (18 Jul 2014)

The next race will be on Friday, 29 August when we should be able to revert to the "traditional" course around the lake and the A and B race format with the meeting point being at the Bandstand.

Last Friday 5k (26 Sep 2014)

Congratulations to Tom Everitt who was running on his 80th birthday – and finished in 180th place. Now that takes some doing! His time of 26:50 means that Tom tops the UK Rankings for his age group.

Last Friday 5k (31 Oct 2014)

"Boathouse" course used. The November and December races will also use this course. Please note that the December race will be on the 19th (one week early).

Last Friday 5k (19 Dec 2014)

The 2-lap course was used.

Congratulations to Sally Musson on winning the 2014 Age-Graded Championship with an average score of 91.8% for her best 6 races. We’ll be presenting Sally with her trophy before the start of the January race.

We saw two Series Records today, both for members of Dulwich Runners AC, with Clare Elms setting a new W50 mark of 18:10 and Ros Tabor improving her own W65 record to 21:32.

Congratulations also to Jim Brown (Fairlands Valley Spartans) who was the only person to complete all 12 races in 2014.

Last Friday 5k (27 Feb 2015)

Congratulations to Clare Elms who set a new W50 Series Record.

Last Friday 5k (24 Apr 2015)

Please note that for the 29 May and 26 June races the meeting point, start and finish will be at the Boat House with the 2-lap course being used. The change is due to other events taking place in Hyde Park.

Congratulations to our winner, Tom Aldred, who set a new M35 series record.

Last Friday 5k (29 May 2015)

The meeting point for the June race will again be close to the Boat House with the 2-lap course being used. This is because of preparations for the summer concerts.

Last Friday 5k (26 Jun 2015)

There was an outstanding run from the leading woman, Katy Webster (London Heathside) who broke the W35 series record. There was a 10 second improvement on the mark set by Jo King back in December 2004.

We expect to be able to use the course around the Serpentine lake for the July race, meeting at the Bandstand,

Last Friday 5k (30 Oct 2015)

Please note that for the November and December races the meeting point, start and finish will be close to the Boat House, not the Bandstand.

Last Friday 5k (27 Nov 2015)

A reminder that the next race on Friday 18 December.

Last Friday 5k (18 Dec 2015)

Congratulations to Sally Musson who wins our Age graded Championship with an average score of 90% across her best 6 races. We will present Sally with her trophy before the start of the January race.

Congratulations also to Alistair Jackson and Leon Goldsack who are the only two athletes to complete all of the 2015 races.

In total, more than 1200 runners completed at least one Last Friday 5k race this year. Thank you to you all for your support.

A reminder that we will be increasing the “unaffiliated” entry fee to £5 starting with the January race. The fee for club runners remains at £2. This follows The Royal Parks’ decision to increase by 250% the licence fee they charge for giving us their “permission” to hold the races.

Last Friday 5k (29 Jan 2016)

A reminder that the March race will be one week early (18 March) to avoid a clash with Good Friday.

Last Friday 5k (26 Feb 2016)

Congratulations to John Batchelor, whose time of 22:34 was a new M75 Series Record.

A reminder that the next race will be one week early, taking place on 18 March so that we avoid clashing with Good Friday.

I've received the following sad news -
Sean Dillon, who was a big fan of the Last Friday Of The Month 5K races and participated in many of them passed away last October.

Sean was out on a run and had a stroke. The paramedics revived him but he was brain dead and a week later they turned off his life support.

Last Friday 5k (27 May 2016)

Please note that for the 24 June race, the meeting point, start and finish will be close to the Boat House, not the Bandstand, and the 2-lap course will be used. This is due to preparatory work on the summer concerts site.

Last Friday 5k (24 Jun 2016)

We should be able to revert to the course around the lake for the 29 July race, meeting at The Bandstand.

Last Friday 5k (29 Jul 2016)

A remarkable race that saw new series records in both the W80 and M80 age groups.
Many congratulations to Pam Jones and to Cliff Collins.
Cliff broke the long-standing M80 series record. Ron Hale's record had stood since July 2005 and Cliff's excellent time of 26:06 knocked 17 seconds from the old mark.
Pam set the inaugural W80 record, having previously been the W75 record holder.
Both of you are an inspiration to us all.

Last Friday 5k (26 Aug 2016)

IMPORTANT: Lost Property – did anyone pick up a black shoe back that was left by the bench that was being used for registration (by the car)? It belongs to Desmond Brown and contained, among other things, his Freedom travelcard. If you did, or if you know of its whereabouts, please can you contact Malcolm French a.s.a.p. on lfotm5k@serpentine.org.uk or 020 8422 3900 or 07788 167652.

Last Friday 5k (30 Sep 2016)

Congratulations to John Batchelor (Ilford AC) on setting a new M75 Series Record. John’s time of 21:54 improved the old record by 27 seconds.

Last Friday 5k (28 Oct 2016)

Congratulations to John Batchelor who improved his M75 Series Record by a further 9 seconds, setting a new mark of 21:45 and in the process reclaiming top spot in the UK rankings.

Please note that the meeting point for the November and December races will be the Boathouse, not the Bandstand, with the 2-lap course being used.

You may like to know that entries are open for the Serpentine New Year’s Day 10k via http://www.serpentine.org.uk/pages/nyd10k.html and https://www.entrycentral.com/festival/25

Last Friday 5k (30 Dec 2016)

We were treated to a very competitive and good quality race where congratulations go to Nick Torry who set a new M35 series record of 14:59 in finishing second overall and I believe that Emelia Gorecka’s time of 16:32 in heading the women’s field ranks her second in the UK for 2016 in the Under 23 age group. She also becomes the third fastest woman of any age in our long-running series of races.

Congratulations also to our 2016 Age-Graded Champion, Sally Musson, who averaged an impressive 90.5% for her best 6 races. We’ll be presenting Sally with her trophy before the start of the January race. Also impressing were Leon Goldsack, Joseph Perkins and Alex Pickering who are the only people to have completed all 12 races.

We return for the 2017 series on 27 January when we hope to be able to use the course around the lake, meeting at the Bandstand.

Last Friday 5k (31 Mar 2017)

I'm sure you'll be interested to know that the leading lady, Jane Vongvorachoti, ran for Thailand in the marathon at 2016 Rio Olympic Games

Last Friday 5k (28 Apr 2017)

Serpentine is delighted to announce Harbour Club as the new sponsor of the Last Friday of the Month 5k series. Founded in 1993, Harbour Club offer three exclusive health clubs in the heart of London: in Chelsea, Notting Hill and a new club on Cromwell Road in Kensington that opens in June 2017. Facilities include gym and fitness suites, pool and spa, group classes for adults and children as well a restaurant to relax and socialise.

For more information, please visit their website at www.harbourclub.com

Last Friday 5k (26 May 2017)

30 JUNE RACE: Please note that the meeting point, start and finish will be close to the Boat House instead of the Bandstand, with the 2-lap course being used. This is because of the BST Hyde Park Concerts.

Last Friday 5k (28 Jul 2017)

For the 25 August race, we will be able to use the course around the lake, with the start being at the Bandstand.

I hope you'll excuse me giving a plug for the Middlesex 10k, for which I'm taking the entries. It's a club orientated race that Victoria Park Harriers & Tower Hamlets AC will be hosting in Victoria Park, Hackney. The race is on Sunday, 1 October, starting at 10.30am. 3-laps, flat, fast and affordable! Entries are open via RunBritain at:-

Last Friday 5k (25 Aug 2017)

Congratulations to Edmond Simpson (Overton Harriers & AC) on breaking the M80 series record. His time of 25:17 also tops the 2017 UK rankings for Edmond’s age group.

For the 29 September race, we will again use the course around the lake, with the start being at the Bandstand.

I hope you'll excuse me giving a plug for the Middlesex 10k, for which I'm taking the entries. The race is in Victoria Park, Hackney and is on Sunday, 1 October starting at 10.30am. 3-laps, flat, fast and affordable! Entries are open via RunBritain at:-